October 25, 2012

There is definitely tons of information available online and
is just a click away for so many online users today, specifically for teens and
young adults. CyberSafety Awareness week
brings forth a time to reinforce the detriment and serious impact that lurks
behind the computer screens for numerous teens that fall victim to cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is a problem that affects
almost half of all American teens. The
American Academy of Pediatrics calls cyberbullying the “most common online
risk for all teens.”

Today, countless youth are literally fighting to endure the
cruel and harsh words that class mates express from their own computers and
with the use of online games.

Cyberbullies can be classmates, online acquaintances, and
even anonymous users, but most often they actually know their victims.

Whether you’ve been a victim of cyberbullying, know someone
who has been cyberbullied, or have even cyberbullied yourself, there are
effective steps youth can take to stop cyberbullying and stay cyber-safe.

How Can I Prevent Cyberbullying?

Refuse
to pass along cyberbullying messages

Tell
friends to stop cyberbullying

Block
communication with cyberbullies

Report
cyberbullying to a trusted adult

You can also help
prevent cyberbullying by:

Speaking
with other students, as well as teachers and school administrators, to
develop rules against cyberbullying

Raising
awareness of the cyberbullying problem in your community by holding an
assembly and creating fliers to give to younger kids or parents

Sharing
NCPC’s anti-cyberbullying message with friends

Don’t forget that even though you can’t see a cyberbully or
the bully’s victim, cyberbullying can cause long-lasting effects to its victim
and unfortunately in some cases, trigger acts of suicide. If you wouldn’t say
it in person, don’t say it online. Delete cyberbullying. Don’t write it. Don’t
forward it.